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Henry Smith MP has welcomed news that Crawley Borough Council will receive an extra £300,750 to tackle rough sleeping this year to support some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

The Government have announced that councils will receive a share of an additional £112 million through the Rough Sleeping Initiative to help get people off the streets and in to safe and secure accommodation.

It builds on the Prime Minister’s drive to end homelessness and the announcement before Christmas of £260 million for local authorities to help people who are homeless or at risk of losing their homes get back on their feet.

The Rough Sleeping Initiative has reduced the number of vulnerable people sleeping rough in the areas it has been operating by 32 per cent since its introduction in 2018, and is a central pillar of the government’s strategy to end rough sleeping completely by 2024.

Henry said;

“I’m delighted that funding to tackle rough sleeping in Crawley will increase to more than £300,000 this year.

“This Government has shown it’s absolutely determined to end rough sleeping, and I was especially pleased to see the Government bring forward its target of achieving this from 2027 to 2024 at the last election.

“There’s still a lot more to do to ensure the additional funds are spent locally in the most effective way, so that no one in our area has to sleep out in the cold this winter.”

The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government, Robert Jenrick, commented;

“No-one should have to face a night on the street and we have a moral duty to support those who need help the most. It is encouraging to see more people getting the support they need, but there is always more to do.

“We are focusing relentlessly on this issue and our efforts have already led to the first nationwide fall in rough sleeping in a decade – and the areas funded by our Rough Sleeping Initiative have seen rough sleeping numbers fall around a third more than they would be without this vital programme.

“But we need to go further. That is why we are providing this funding so vital work can continue as we set out to end rough sleeping once and for all.”